Livid in Lynn

I wrote some vitriolic words of advice to Jay Fink, head of the Lynn DPW, a few weeks ago that I wish I could take back, but the blanket of snow failed to cool my rage. (See The Snow Job) So I poured a hot toddy and realized that it’s winter in New England, Lynn is a densely populated city and we are a territorial species. The touchy subject of snow removal inspired an avalanche of comments on the Lynn Item website. One frosty fanatic complains:

Please stop ignorant neighbors from snow blowing snow back into the street, call the DPW and report them or better yet, have a snow plow driver plow them in. To the even more ignorant neighbors, when you throw snow at the top of a mound and it keeps falling into someone else’s driveway, walk a few more feet and throw the snow elsewhere. Really people, are you just dumb or that selfish?

I wonder whose driveway he’s talking about? By the way, I am both dumb and selfish, Mr. Fanatic, but you would have gotten a response if you made your comment here:

Dear Lynnside Edition,

I have a friend, see, and this friend has a neighbor who blows snow back into the street after the plow comes. And when my friend’s neighbor shovels snow some of it invariably rolls off the top of the mound and into my friend’s driveway. What do you think my friend should do about it?

Frosty the Snow Elf

Dear Frosty,

I sympathize with your friend’s predicament. I too obsess about the proper protocol to follow when confronted with a snow removal faux pas. Do I point out to my neighbor how his snow is falling on my property or do I just let it go? Do I confront him with his brazen disrespect for the law or inform him of the consequences of his actions? If snow rolls off the top of a mound and into the street as I shovel, and nobody else sees it, did I really just do that? I plead guilty by reason of inanity.

I hope that relations between your friend and his neighbor thaw. See below for important snow removal tips, and don’t forget: snow plow drivers are people too.